himali's big fat nepali wedding

this is a maha blog for himali and abhinash' nepali --bahun-chhettri-newar -- wedding... yesterday, 25 june, 11 asar

it was pouring rain the whole night... breaking a 4-5 day dry spell in the country... it drizzled the whole day... with occasional spells of semi-sunny skies and kukur biralo rain... one of the kids.. abhinash or himali must have licked ladles big time!!

some of the pictures also taken by cholu, milap and kabu...

early morning.. some unfinished preparatory tidbits still left.. debu blow dries a newly painted platform!!

... guests and family trickle in...

.. while the naumati ensemble adds the right bit of rustic flavour to the atmosphere...

...groom abhinash arrives with his trademark dimpled smile for the swayambar ceremony... just an engagement ceremony for the bahuns, but the actual marriage ceremony for the newars!

... and is affectionately welcomed by his grandpa-in-law...

pre-swayambar ritual in the jukti 'cubicle'

... groom. flanked by his sister and aunt, ready for swayambar...

the bride's side of the gathering

... suparis put in himali's hands...

and she has to encircle the groom with that and the dubo garland. of course later, following the bahun traditions, she also encircles him with watrer dripping from a karuwa

garlands exchanged.. it's time for rings and what have yous...

... photographers galore... (the main ones, dictating to the priests and relatives to stand clear of their field of vision!)

time for sindoor.. a post kanyadaan ritual for us, but the main ritual during swayambar according to newar traditions

.. a little bit of instructions from the priest for abhinash on how to apply the sindoor...

and here's how he sindoor'd himali!

.. time for the beads.. again, would have been a kanyadaan ritual on the bahun side.. with the tilahari

... a bet of a pensive, reflective moment for the couple...

.. and some loving brushing up from abhinash for his bride...

time for tika and dakshina from the bride's side for the groom's

...that famous smile again...

.. and times for photos... the groom's side go in first...

.. and then the bride's side... a touching bau-chhori moment

the core maiti folks...

... and the circle expands... missing many cousins not in the country...

...how it all happened... pranab meets priya meets abhinash meets himali...

... groom's circle of friends...

... permutation and combinations of photos with relatives and friends on the bride's family side...

.. uhh... how many mamas do you have, himali??

... after the photo session, the couple was taken to meet deviji for blessings... himali's 'bijiji' gave her a nice smile...

'bijiji's' family...

... with her sisters and bhai buhari...

a tender moment leaving deviji's place...

... bau chhori with kirtiji...

... then it was saipata time... goodies for himali included a huge tilahari...

and himali gets flowers in her hair.. again...

.. as her budhi phupus and bhaujuswatch on...

... in the lull time while waiting for the janti, gajendra bajey and chiranjibiji make preparations for the yagya...

... and dada holds his own court with fascinating tales of akbar's court!

all trappings set for the barani

the naumati team, meanwhile, try to keep the festive spirit alive by blowing on the karnal and narsingha from time to time. the initial 'bark' of the karnal was enough to jolt anyone out of any hint of slumber...

... baba seated atop the grassy knoll received the karnal blast so many times...

.. he decided to relocate to a more ear-friendly spot...

dinesh mama with his sisters... everyone missing deviji a lot...

dada bows his head to muwa.. and mami alights from the car...

shanta comes to greet muwa.. who congratulates her for becoming a mother in law of such a great guy!

mami chats with rani.. meeting her after many years...

muwa catches up on the latest guff from dijju, including the monstrous bhatbhateni super store being built nearby...

.. and hinudidi and bindadidi, old colleagues from madan smarak, share notes too...

members of the dixit jwain club...

.. as well as of the dixit boys' club...

... last minute garlands for the jaggey rites...

sandaji initiates the yagya

.. oldies also got a bit of a polish to welcome the janti.. an old phupu..

... and an older newyork grandma!

... old hmg colleagues meet up...

yet to be sasura and sasu wait for the janti

.. and another yet to be jethi sasu scolds a yet to be jetho sasura to stop making faces in front of the camera...

sisters in law with laxmi.. ladies in waiting!

.. the janti finally arrives.. having walked the last 15 minutes of the trip.. led by a melodius murali dhoon baja
newari baja leads the janti

the entourage...

and the decorated groom's car entering the welcome arch...

dada leads the janti parsiney ritual.. senior males circling the car along with him...

... as the seniors from the groom's side waits patiently...

... then abhinash is escorted towards jaggey...

.. the female flutists in full newar attire play sweetly on the side...

barani time.. and the shoes have already done a vanishing act... abhinash' cousins quick to defend his property by whisking them off the moment he stepped out of them... and hiding them in plstic bags that kept shuttling amongst them.. with decoy shoe bags too... full warfare strategy.. and led to frenzied grabbing, relay, tickling, re-strategising, plotting, running, etc. incidences as the day progressed...

front row seats for the jaggey show seemed to have been all booked in advance!!

... sasura handing over the decorated dried coconut to his jwain...

...shielding him from lord knows what...

... and taking his thumb's oath that he will forever protect his daughter...

... and then on to the kanyadaan ceremony.. sandaji and shanta wash their jwain and chhori's feet...

their pretty and handsome feet!

.. dada follows...

and then bonadidi...

... brothers duo milap and eelum...

... muwa offers her aashirbaad from the side...

then it's baba and my turn...

we're followed by mami... who blesses them...

and then follows it up with her most favourite artibuddhi to couples.. on how to make peace by shutting up temporarily during squabbles....

samdhis and phupu samdhini

... as phupus wash feet, sanimas wait in line....

cholu sits guard next to the bag with mayo's 'goddhuwa' (feet washing offering)

godha dhuney done.. muwa, mami, bindadidi and bijayadidi have chokho lunch...

bruce pours and miriam washes and blesses

then turn for guests from uttaranchal hills...

.. and the plains of bangladesh...

dada escorts muwa to the car...

time for kanyadaan... when mayo's gotra changes... water pours froom karuwa held by shanta.. to himali's, whose thumb is held by sandaji, and rests on abhinash'...

and as the mantras are chanted.. the water keeps pouring...

... filling up the silver khadkalo...

... mayo and abhinash are asked to look into each others' eyes... she stared him out!!

tying the lagan gantho

...a rare glimpse of those big bambi eyes...

.. time to walk to the jaggey...

.. for the more fun rituals... maur khuwauney (he won) laba bhutney (his side won with cholu helping out).. sindoor haalney, dhogney.. etc etc

... offering laba to the yagya...

promising to crush all her enemies as his own.. grrrrr....

kanyadaan done.. the family finally gets to eat.. not the couple, though...

.. the pretty bride. and her lovely ghumti...

.. suddenly it started pouring...

sandaji is made to do strange contortionist's act as the yagya draws to a close...

fianlly food.. bhundey bhaag.. for the couple.. the glass ware was bought by deviji more than two decades ago.. and it seems she had jokingly said she'd use it sparingly so that she could bring them out it in himali's wedding to serve to royal 'raja-rani' guests!

dressing up time .. for the groom .. just a hint of gajal and lip gloss

.. the bride meantime is being helped to the clothes presented by her husband...

.. mrs. pradhan in full regalia...

meanwhile.. downstairs mrs. pradhan's brother is negotiating full blast with her inlaw's about the payment for the 'captured' shoes.. which the bride's side had managed to hijack (after fierce fighting!)

back in the jukti cubicle. shanta gives tika and sagun to mayo...

.. and abhinash...

then three rounds of the jaggey in the arms of her brothers...

samdhi bhet and greetings...

himali gives supari as token of farewell for her parents

father in law puts silver kalli on buhari's feet .. symbolising that a daughter in law in fact is like a daughter...

bhai carries didi towards the bridal car...

... not an easy job .. camera shakes a bit in this one...

.. no definitely not an easy task...

.. circling the car three times at that!!!

a final brave smile for the bride...

and the doors close on the car now covered with brocade shawl to signify bride on board...

final namaste's to the groom's side...

and 'thar she goes…'

... the car heads for the gates...

awash with unspilled emotions...

a hug for the 'khamba' of the wedding rituals, gajendra bajey...

.. and a final acknowledgment of the contributions from the other pillar of the wedding... 'suksari miss'

... and it's all done!